Image forming devices form an image on a media sheet as the sheets move through a transfer area. The media sheet with image is then moved from the transfer area and exited from the device through an exit port and into an output area. The exit port should be constructed in a manner to ensure the sheet moves out of the interior of the device and away from the exit port.
Media jams may result if the exit port is not constructed properly. The media sheet may move along the media path but the trailing edge of the sheet does not clear the exit port. This may occur because the media sheet contacts an output tray within the output area that prevents the trailing edge of the sheet from clearing through the exit port. The trailing edge of the sheet may also become snagged within the exit port thus preventing the sheet from exiting into the output area.
One problem the snagged sheet causes is with collation. A subsequent sheet may feed out of the device before the snagged sheet resulting in an improper order of printed sheets output from the device. The snagged sheet may also cause a media jam. The snagged media sheet may block the exit port and prevent the subsequent media sheet from moving through the exit port. The media jam requires stopping the device, accessing and removing the jammed sheet(s), and restarting the printing process. Media jams greatly reduce the overall throughput of the device, and are frustrating to the user.
A mechanism to move the media sheets from the exit port and into the output area should not negatively affect the cost of the device. Many purchasers make buying decisions based on the device cost. Mechanisms that greatly add to the cost may result in a better product, but may cause the purchaser to select a competitor's product.